1 killed, 5 hurt in explosion at cracker unit near Sivakasi
The incident happened at around 8.45 am, when the workers were entering a chemical-filling room inside the premises.
Visuals from the spot (Daily Thanthi)
MADURAI: A worker was killed and five others injured in an explosion at a cracker manufacturing unit at Keelathayilpatti in Sivakasi taluk of Virudhunagar district on Sunday.
The incident happened at around 8.45 am, when the workers were entering a chemical-filling room inside the premises.
The deceased was identified as M Balagurusamy (55) of Panayadipatti Street, Tiruthangal, sources said.
The injured were S Kannan (50) of Lakshmi Nagar, Thayilpatti, M Ramesh (20) of Jharkhand, Kamalesh Ram (28) of Jharkhand, A Rajapandi (37) of Padanthal and L Rajasekar (29) of Pasumpon Nagar, Thayilpatti, sources said.
Police said the impact of the explosion was so severe that his body was torn apart, with fire and rescue personnel forced to collect body parts from various locations around the blast site.
The explosion also flattened 17 rooms and rocked a few houses nearby. The injured were rushed to the Sivakasi Government Hospital for treatment.
Further sources said standard safety procedures were not followed in the licensed manufacturing unit and hence the license was temporarily suspended. Officials would submit a report after thoroughly examining the cause of the accident.
After the K Rajeshkannan, Deputy Director, Southern region, Fire and Rescue Services Department, Virudhunagar District Fire Officer M Chandra Kumar, Revenue officials and police personnel inspected the accident site and held enquiries.
Based on a complaint lodged by the Thayilpatti VAO, Vembakottai police have filed a case against three persons including a foreman and owner, sources said.
Virudhunagar District Revenue Officer R Rajendran ordered the immediate suspension of the unit’s sulphur licence pending further investigation.
This is the second major accident in the district in less than a week. On July 1, a similar explosion at Gokules Fireworks in Chinnakamanpatti claimed eight lives, once again highlighting persistent safety lapses in the fireworks manufacturing sector.
Expressing shock, Chief Minister MK Stalin conveyed his condolences and sympathies to the family of the deceased and ordered authorities to ensure special care to the injured workers.
In an official release, the CM announced Rs 4 lakh solatium to the family of the deceased worker. Also, he declared an assistance of Rs 1 lakh to a severely injured worker and Rs 50,000 each to others who sustained non-grievous injuries.
